Indian space scientists have been working on cryogenic fuel technology for nearly 20 years. ISRO had tried to source the technology in the 1990s from the US but was denied the "strategic technology'' in the aftermath of the nuclear tests in 1998. ISRO subsequently worked with seven cryo engines provided by Russia for early development of the GSLV programme while working in parallel on its own cryogenic stage for the rocket. GSLV launches with Russian cryo stages have been a mixed bag for ISRO with two fully successful flights and two partially successful flights out of the seven attempted.

The cryogenic technology which enables rockets to place satellites weighing more than 2,000 kg in geo synchronous orbits in space is known to be available to only five countries in the world — US, Russia, Japan, France and China.

PM Manmohan Singh, in his recent press conference described the "Best Moment" of his tenure when he was able to strike a nuclear deal with US to end the nuclear apartheid which had slaughtered to stifle processes of social and economic change, and technical progress. The deal was mainly aimed at generation of electricity at cheap rates compare to thermal power generation. The government hasn't explained much on that front, but the progress of space technology after the deal seems positive, whether supported by this deal or not.